Self Diagnosing Your Hair Type

Do you know about pose 28?

We are still in this sweet month of gratitude, so I am going to kick this off with a few things I am grateful for today:

1. Starting this week with a big old hike

2. An unexpected lunch date with my cute husband

3. Texts from a teenager! (more on that below!)

You can join us! Just throw in anything you feel grateful for. I promise, it feels GOOD.

One thing I wish I was grateful for — but I’m definitely not at the moment — is my hair. It looks unhealthy, I am overdue for a cut and color, and apparently I have no clue what my “hair type” is.

I saw an article about winter tips for type 4 hair. Type 4?! I don’t know what that means, or any clue what my type is or how it’s relevant to my everyday life. It’s in these moments I get the sneaking feeling that everyone knows about this but me. This feeling was more like deja vu, because recently Deanna told me she was a summer and I had no idea what that meant either!

If I knew my color-palate “season” and my hair type would everything be different?! Would I use products that enhance my natural beauty giving me more of an effortless look? Let’s get to the bottom of this.

First up! What is my season? LFG!

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My excitement quickly waned after scrolling an article about how to figure this out but there was so much talk about undertones and hues — Nope! I realize that this is not knowable for me at this time. I’m going to skip it.

Moving on to hair! Upon a google, I was immediately hit up by Prose to take their hair quiz. PASS. Then I found this article that quickly breaks it down:

Type 1: Straight

With no variation in shape, Type 1 is sub-categorized by strand thickness.

• 1A is fine, soft, pliable, and easy to style. Most hair styling products will successfully affect straight hair when used in smaller amounts so as not to overwhelm it.

• 1B is of medium thickness, also relatively manageable.This is an enviable type that responds to pretty much anything you want it to do and reacts well to various hair products.

• 1C is the coarsest and most challenging to shape. Styling this hair type requires a bit more muscle from styling products such as strong hold hair sprays and creams.

Type 2: Waves

Type 2 can be of any thickness, and is characterized by a definitive S-pattern that lays close to the head at the root.

• 2A waves are typically fine, often ethereal, and usually quite easy to straighten. This texture is quickly weighed down by styling products and creating volume can be a challenge. Lightweight, water-based hair products such as gels and mousses are recommended, and small amounts will likely go a long way.

• 2B waves have a defined S-shape developing at mid length. Individual strands are thicker in diameter than 2A, and can take some effort to straighten. Enhance these waves with texture sprays such as Undressed for a beachy look and feel without the drying effects or the crispiness of actual salt.

• 2C waves are coarser, with well-defined S-bends beginning closer to the roots.This natural texture is more susceptible to frizz and special care should be taken to keep the hair and scalp from drying out. A leave-in conditioning creme such as Hair Balm will encourage this natural wave pattern while keeping it hydrated inside and out all day.

Type 3: Curls

Type 3 ranges from loose, bouncy loops to tight, springy tendrils with a tendency to frizz.

• 3A curls tend to be shiny, large, loose curls that respond well to scrunching to emphasize their natural texture. This strand type tends to have low porosity hair characteristics given its shine, smoothness, and full bodied texture. These types of curls are relatively easy to maintain. An occasional misting with a solution of one part Hair Balm to 8 parts water in a spray bottle is an ideal refresher. Shake well, scrunch liberally, and let air dry. For more curl definition, twirl tiny sections around your finger when hair is damp.

• 3B curls are springy, tight ringlets that can easily dry out as the sharp shapes cause the cuticle to splay. To keep these types of curls cooperative, look for humectants to attract moisture, such as Wax with Shea Butter and Beeswax, and apply to damp hair.

• 3C curls are tight corkscrews about the size of a pencil, and densely packed together with lots of natural volume that appears less shiny than Types 1 and 2. More common than not, frizzy curly hair can be an issue with this strand type; co-washing and creamy cleansers are recommended to support the curl pattern, followed by a moisturizing styling creme – along the lines of, you guessed it, Hair Balm – on wet hair.

Type 4: Coils

Coily hair, one of the most common Black hair types, is naturally dry, spongy in texture, appears coarse but is quite fine, dense, wiry, and fragile. Strands grow in tight, zig-zags right from the scalp and elongate considerably when stretched.

• 4A coils have dense springy, S-patterns about the circumference of a crochet needle, much like Type 3 curls.A curl cream and leave-in moisturizer mixture – or a hybrid, like Hair Balm – is a must for adding more moisture to the recommended wash-and-go regimen. For this hair type, the LOC method may be a viable option as well.

• 4B coils are densely packed and can bend in sharp, letter-Z angles. Use Hair Balm for palm-rolling coils to stretch them out and twist them together into defined shapes.

• 4C coils are similar to 4B, but are more fragile with a very tight, small-scale zig-zag pattern that results in 75 percent or more shrinkage than others. Liberal applications of leave-in moisturizer and regular use of Castor, Olive, or Coconut oil will keep this type of kinky coily hair hydrated and sealed against dryness.

That works for me! I am left with the self diagnosis that the right side of my head is probably a 2A and the left is a 1C. (Thanks, childbirth!)

What kind of hair do you have? And what on earth do you do with this information? Clearly it feels like I need a hair mask, which is one of those products that are suddenly everywhere. Deanna has probably been using one all year!

When I asked my friend Alex for an explanation about what a hair mask does, she said, “a deep conditioner that you leave on while you do other stuff! Just apply a headful and carry on until you feel like rinsing!” Not sure why but all I could think about was…

Alex uses this. I have yet to try any hair mask. Do you maybe have half 1C, half 2A hair that is incredibly oily at the scalp even right after you wash it — AND have a hair mask that you love?

On to things you might not already know about, but the youth sure do! Pose 28. Say what?!